Corn Chowder with Shrimp and Bacon

Corn on the cob is one of my favorite things of the summer months. Here in NJ we have amazingly sweet corn but you have to wait until July to enjoy it. We've been receiving 4-5 ears of corn every week from Alan's Orchard for the past two months so I feel like I may turn into a corn on the cob if I eat it the traditional way one more time. I boiled my corn for this recipe but If you used grilled corn it may be even better than my version of this soup. This soup has a bunch of different flavors and they are layered into it as you cook so it becomes quite complex by the time you are eating it. The bacon gives it a salty and crispy aspect, the corn is sweet, and the broth is creamy. I'm not usually a huge soup fan in the summer but this Chowder may have changed my ways!

Ingredients:

3 Ears of Cooked Corn on the Cob
1 Red Pepper - Diced Small
1 Yellow Onion - Diced Small
2 Cloves of Garlic - Minced
3 Strips of Bacon - Diced Small
2 Cups Chicken Stock
1/2 Cup Light Cream
1 Tbsp Paprika
1 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
8-12 Shrimp - Tails off and Deveined
S&P

Adapted from www.bevcooks.com

In a large pot over medium heat, cook the diced bacon, stirring occasionally until crispy. Remove the cooked bacon from the pot and set aside on a paper towel. If you have more than TBSP or so of bacon grease dump some of it out.

Cook your shrimp in the bacon grease over medium heat for about 3 minutes in total, a minute and a half or so on each side. They will be until pink and have curled up when they are ready. When they are finished cooking take them out and set them aside.

Now you can get all of your vegetables ready, dice your red pepper and onion, mince your garlic and cut the kernels off of the corn cobs. Over medium heat add the onion, saute about 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Saute another minute.

Next add the corn and the red pepper to the pot. Mixing everything together to combine. Saute another minute or two. Pour in the chicken stock, give it a few good stirs. Then poor in the light cream, give it another stir. On low allow the soup to simmer for about 20 minutes, this will allow the flavors to combine and the soup to thicken.

If you have an immersion blender give the soup a few good pulses. If you don't ladle about 2 cups of the soup into a blender and pulse until creamy. Return to the pot. Allow to cook another 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Taste and salt and pepper again if needed. Ladle into bowls and top with shrimp and crispy bacon pieces.

Enjoy!! - Nicole

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http://thenymelrosefamily.com/, http://mandatorymooch.blogspot., http://djssugarshack.com, 

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